Insane Clown Posse to Challenge FBI’s Juggalo ‘Gang’ Classification

The juggalos are one of the most loyal fan bases in music, but would you consider them to be a gang? As the "Gathering of the Juggalos" takes place this week at Cave-in-Rock, Ill., Insane Clown Posse and their Psychopathic Records label have sought out legal council to investigate action against the FBI after their fanbase was labeled "a gang."

The FBI's National Gang Intelligence Center labeled the fanbase as such in their 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. After learning of this, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope are weighing their options to see whether they can receive monetary compensation and/or injunctive relief on behalf of their fans.

The report lumps the "Juggalos" in with such other "non-traditional gangs" as the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods and Crips and the Latin Kings, and states "Many Juggalo subsets exhibit gang-like behavior and engage in criminal activity and violence. Law enforcement officials in at least 21 states have identified criminal Juggalo subsets."

Shaggy 2 Dope says, "We are hearing too many stories from our fans about the trouble it's causing them. Just because you like a music group, doesn't making you a criminal."

Violent J adds, "We're not attacking the FBI, but they got this worng. The Juggalos are not a gang and that needs to be fixed."

The band's lawyer, Howard Hertz, stated that they are seeking Juggalos whose rights have been violated. Incidents they are investigating included fans stopped by border patrol, denied the ability to fly on an airline, had sentencing increase or parole denied, denial of a job opportunity, denial of the right to march, boycott or assemble, or denial of the ability to sell Juggalo merchandise.